Car-door-operating mechanism.



APPLICATION FILED MAR. 6, 1913. 1,086,723. Patented Feb. 10, 1914.

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INVENTOR s E s s E N n w COLUMBIA PLANOCIRAFN C0,, WASHINGTON. D. c.

G. A. LINDSTRUM.

UAR DOOR OPERATING MECHANISM.

APPLIOATION FILED MAR. 6, 1913.

1,086,723. Patented Feb. 10, 1914.

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0. A. LINDSTRUM.

GAR DOOR OPERATING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 6, 1913.

1,086,728. Patented Feb. 10, 1914.

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WITNESSES WWW/ COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH cO-. WASHINGTON, D. 6.

'NTED @ATFS CHARLES A. LINDSTRGM, 0F PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

CAR-DOOR-OPERATING MECHANISM.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, CHARLES A. LIND- s'rnoar, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Gar-Door-Operating Mechanism, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure l is a side view of a portion of a freight car having one form of my improved door operating mechanism applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a similar view of a portion of a car and showing a modified form of the mechanism. Fig. 3 is a sectional plan view of the operative parts of Fig. 2. Fig. 3 is a fragmentary detail view showing the safety clutch. Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view of the pawls of Figs. 2 and 3. Fig. 5 is a side VlGW of one form of the friction clutch or look, and Figs. 6 and 7 are sectional views of the same, Fig. 6 being taken on the line VIVI of Fig. 7, and Fig. 7 being taken on the line VIIVIT of Fig. 6.

My invention has relation to car-dooroperating mechanism particularly designed for use in connection with freight car drop doors.

The invention is designed to provide door operating mechanism of simple and eficient character, and by means of which the doors may be entirely released and permitted to at once assume wide open positions, as in ordinary car-unloading operations; or which permit the doors to be slowly or partially opened to any desired extent, as in ballastmg.

My invention also provides a door-operating mechanism having means which in the event of a quick release will prevent danger of injury to the operator by reason of the sudden revolution of the wrench or other operating device.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, the numeral 2 (Fig. l) designates one of the bottom drop doors of a freight car 3, the door being hinged at its upper edge, as indicated at l.

5 designates an actuating rod or link which is connected to a crank 6 of an operating shaft 7. This shaft 7 in the form shown in Fig. 1, is controlled by a friction-lock or Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 6, 1913.

Patented Feb. 10,191at. Serial No. 752,528.

Serial No. 7 52,529, filed March 6, 1913) consists of an external member 8, loosely mounted on the shaft having peripheral ratchet teeth 9, and formed with an interior cylindrical friction surface 10; an internal member 11, and interposed friction members 12. The internal member 11 consists of a hub portion 11 loosely mounted on the other end portion 7 of the shaft 7 and a disk portion having two inwardly projecting segments 11*. These segments have curved outer surfaces concentric with, but separated from the internal friction surfaces 10 of the external member, and are also irregularly curved on their inner faces to receive between them the opposite cam projections 7 of the shaft 7. The disk 11 may also be provided with ratchet teeth or projections 11, although these are not essen tial. The friction members 12, two in number, are interposed between the segments 11 and the friction surface 10. Each of these members is formed with an inward projection 12 at one end and with another inward projection 12 at the opposite end. The two sets of projections have contacting bevel surfaces 12. The projections 12 also contact with the curved surfaces of the cam projections 7 means such as the screw 11 (shown in Fig. 7 may be provided to prevent endwise movement of the internal memher away from the external member.

18 designates a pawl pivoted at 14 to the plate or bracket 15, adapted to engage the ratchet teeth 9 of the external member.

16 is another pawl, pivoted to the plate or bracket 15 at 17 and adapted to engage the ratchet teeth or projections 11 of the internal member 11.

18 is a dog also pivoted to the plate or bracket 15, and adapted to hold both pawls in their engaging positions. The sleeve portion 11 of the internal member is preferably squared, as shown at 11, in order to receive the socket of a suitable operating wrench or lever.

When the door 2 is closed, the crank 6 is preferably moved to a position slightly past center, as shown in Fig. 1; and the door is further held against opening movement by the pawls 13 and 16. It will be readily seen that any tendency of the shaft 7 to rotate in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 5, under the action of the load, will cause the cam projection 7" to force the friction members 12 outwardly into frictional engagement with the friction surface 10, thereby securely locking the shaft against rotation in this direction. If it is desired to effect a quick release and opening movement of the door 2, both pawls 18 and 16 are disengaged and the usual wrench is applied to the squared end of the hub of the internal member. This member is then rotated in the direction of the arrows (Fig. 6) sufficiently to carry the crank 6 past center in the other direction. The load, acting against the door, immediately moves it to its full open position, all the parts of the frie tion clutch or look turning with the shaft 7. If it is desired to effect a slow release and opening movement of the door 2, the pawl 13 is left in engagement with the teeth of the external member, and the pawl 16 is disengaged from the teeth of the internal member. The wrench is now applied as before to rotate the internal member in the direction of the arrow. The segments 11 of said internal member (which are engaged with the end portions of the friction members in the manner clearly shown in Fig. 6) will now rotate said members within the external member, permitting a slow door releasing movement of the shaft 7. This shaft cannot get away from the operator, since any tendency to turn faster than the speed given by the operator will cause the cam projections 7 to exert a spreading action upon the friction elements, and this acts as an effective check upon said shaft. The door can, therefore, be opened to any desired extent and as slowly as may be desired. In closing the door, the pawls 13 and 16 are returned to their original positions, the wrench is operated in the reverse direction, and all the members rotate together. The pawl 16 and ratchet teeth or projections 11 may be omitted. since they are provided merely as an additional safe-guard against any possible movement of the internal member 11 in a releasing direction.

In Figs. 2, 3 and 1, I have shown a modification of the invention in which two separate shafts are employed, these shafts being designated 19 and 20, respectively. The shaft 19 is a two-part or broken shaft of the character described and claimed in my Patent No. 865,714, of September 10, 1907. The two parts of this shaft have the cooperating clutch projections 21 and 22, which are so arranged that the section 19 of the shaft, which carries the crank 23 to which the door actuating rod 24 is connected, may make a partial rotation independently of the section 19, as in my said patent. The two shafts are geared together by means of the spur gear wheels 25 and 26, the former being secured to the shaft section 19 The shaft 19 has its outer end portion squared, as shown at 26, to receive an actuating wrench or lever, and is also provided with a ratchet 27 and pivoted pawl 28, the latter having a holding dog 29. The shaft 20 is provided with a friction clutch or lock 30, which may be of the form above described and shown in Figs. 5, 6 and 7, except that the ratchet teeth on the internal member are omitted. The external member of the clutch is provided with the ratchet teeth 31 engaged by the pivoted pawl 32, which is also preferably provided with a holding dog 33. The dogs 29 and 33 are preferably each formed with a heel projection 29 or 33, for the purpose of holding the pawls in raised positions, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2. The outer end of the shaft 20 is also squared, as indicated at 3 1, to receive the socket of an operating wrench or lever.

The operation of this form of my invention is as follows: If it is desired to effect a quick release and opening movement of the door, both pawls 28 and 32 are disengaged from their ratchets, and the operating wrench or lever is applied at the squared end of the shaft 19 to turn said shaft in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 3 hen the clutch projection 22 comes around into engagement with the opposite side of the clutch projection 21, the shaft section 19 will be rotated to move the crank 23 beyond center in the releasing direction. The load will now immediately open the door, all the parts on the shaft 20 turning therewith. The shaft section 19 during this opening movement of the door can make nearly a complete revolution independently of the shaft section 19. Therefore, no matter how quickly the load may act upon the door, after the latter has been released, there is no danger to the operator, who can remove his wrench at leisure.

When it is desired to effect a slow opening of the door, the pawl 28 only is disengaged, the actuating wrench or lever is applied to the squared end 34 of the shaft '20, and the latter is turned in an anti-clockwise direction, the pawl 33 only remaining in engaged position. The friction elements now rotate freely within the external member of the friction clutch, the operation being at this time similar to the slow releasing operation, of the form first described.

The advantages of my invention will be apparent, since it provides a simple and efficient door-operating-mechanism capable of giving either a fast or slow opening of the doors.

My invention is also susceptible to various other changes. Thus, instead of the particular friction clutch device illustrated in Figs. 5, 6 and 7, any other suitable device of this general character may be employed, and various other changes may be made within the spirit and scope of my invention, as defined in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. Car door operating mechanism, comprising a shaft to which the car door is connected, manual actuating means for said shaft, a friction clutch locking device cooperating therewith, said device having means whereby the shaft may be permitted to either turn quickly under the weight of the load or the door, or to be turned slowly by said manual actuating means; substantially as described.

2. Cardooroperating mechanism comprising a shaft to which a car door is connected, and a friction clutch device for operating said shaft, said device having means whereby it can turn as an entirety with the shaft or may be operated to permit a slow movement thereof; substantially as described.

3. Car dooroperating mechanism comprising a door operating shaft and a friction operating device cooperating with the shaft, said device comprising members.

adapted to rotate as a unit with the shaft or to have a relative movement to permit a slow movement of the shaft; substantially as described.

a. Cardoor operating mechanism comprising two inter-geared shafts to one of which a car door is connected, means whereby the operation of one shaft will effect a slow release and opening of the doors, and means whereby the operation of the other Copies of this patent may be obtained for shaft will effect a quick release and opening of the doors; substantially as described.

5. Oar-door-operating mechanism comprising two inter-geared shafts to one of which a car door is connected, each of said shafts having a wrench seat, and clutch means whereby the operation of one shaft will effect a slow release and opening movement of the doors, and whereby the opera tion of the other shaft will effect a quick release and opening of the doors; substantially as described.

- 6. Car door operating mechanism comprising two inter-geared shafts to one of which a car door is connected, clutch means whereby operation of one of the shafts will effect a slow release and opening of the door and whereby operation of the other shaft will effect a quick release and opening of the door, one of said shafts being formed in sections having a lost motion clutch connection; substantially as described.

7. Cardooroperating mechanism comprising two inter-geared shafts to one of which a car door is connected, both of said shafts having a wrench seat, a pawl and ratchet on one of said shafts, and a friction clutch or lock device on the other shaft, said device being arranged to either permit a slow movement of the shaft or to turn freely with the shaft; substantially as described.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand.

CHARLES A. LINDsTRoM.

Witnesses:

GEO. H. PARMELEE, H. M. CoRwIN.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents Washington, D. C. 

